Panoramic view of the Fasanella
Valley from the Sant' Angelo Municipal building (For a very large version of this picture
click here and save to
your hard drive.)

In his classic 1945 book "Christ stopped at
Eboli (Cristo si è fermato a Eboli)" Carlo Levi describes the remote and
isolated land of southern Italy and the destitute of the peasant inhabitants.
Well, people are no longer starving in the south but tourists still seem to be
stopping at Eboli or, more accurately, at the Amalfi coast. Virtually unknown to
most tourists is breathtaking views and historic significance of southern Italy.
Many of the towns and cities of the south are rich with history as old and as
interesting as the history of the central and northern cities of Italy.

The two towns exhibited in this photo gallery
are in the Salerno province in the Campania region of Southern Italy and are
located in the heart of one of Italy's largest National Parks - Parco
Nazionale del Cilento e del Vallo di Diano. Surrounding the Fasanella
valley in this park are three towns: Ottati, Sant'Angelo a Fasanella and Corleto
Monforte. Both of my parents come from this area, my mother from the town
Sant' Angelo a Fasanella and my father from the neighboring town Corleto
Monforte. I visited both towns in July 2006 after a 32 year hiatus.

The name of this ancient town
has an interesting history. The Fasanella part of the name is Greek, being a
derivation of the name Phasis, and refers to the valley and river of the same
name . The Sant'
Angelo part of the name refers to a wonderful grotto ("Grotta
di San Michele") that contains an altar for
the veneration of the Archangel Michael as well as other
early catholic iconography.

The Roman's called the
most southern part of Italy Magna Graecia ("Greater Greece")
because it was heavily colonized by the Greeks beginning as early as 800 B.C.
The Fasanella valley and river in the Cilento area of Campania was called
Phasis by the original Greek settlers after the river and city of the
same name in an ancient land near the Black Sea called Colchis. In Greek
mythology Colchis is where Jason and the Argonauts sailed in their quest for the
Golden Fleece. The Greeks settled the area of Colchis around the Phasis river
where it empties into the Black Sea (today it is the western part of Georgia).
The Fasanella (Phasanella) valley and its river must have reminded the
Greek settlers of their home city. The settlement in the Fasanella valley
in southern Italy grew
to become a substantial Medieval village. By the 1000-1100's it came under the control of
a Lombard family that took on the Fasanella name. The family also adopted the
common pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus) as part of
their coat of arms. The word pheasant is derived from the Greek phasianos
(Phasian bird). According to legend the Argonauts captured these beautiful birds
from the forests near the Phasis river in Colchis and, along with the golden
fleece, brought them to Greece. In 1246 Pandolfo Fasanella was the feudal
lord of the valley and a major player in a conspiracy against the Holy Roman
Emperor Frederick II known as the "Conspiracy of Capacio". To quell the
conspiracy Frederick II ordered his army to destroy the entire Fasanella valley
settlement (some ruins of the original settlement can be seen
at the confluence of the Fasanella and Calore rivers in the
valley). After the sacking of the valley, survivors rebuilt their homes near
the site of a Norman Castle higher up in the valley.
Gradually the homes spread to above the castle. Today
all the homes surrounding the ancient Norman castle (Castelo Ducale) is
known as Sant' Angelo a Fasanella.The
"newer"
section(300-400
years old) is known as "Sopra la Terra", the
older section near the
castle is referred to as "Dentro la Terra" and the
most ancient section lower in the valley is known as "Basso la Terra".
For a photo of Sant'
Angelo
that was taken from Corleto (the neighboring town) click here.

Corleto Monforte
is believed to have been founded by the Lucani. For defensive purposes, and to
keep an eye on the Greeks that were settling in the valley below, the Lucani
built Corleto on a mountain ridge. The ridge was carved out by two rivers that
emptied into the valley (one on the left and one on the right). You can see the
town perched on a ridge on the left side of the picture on the top of this page. Click on the link under
the picture for a larger version or click here
to see the section with Corleto enlarged.

The towns in
the Fasanella valley are great places to visit, particularly if you are
interested in antiquity, history or nature, or if you simply wish to relax in a
beautiful environment with stunning scenery away from the hustle and bustle of
the typical tourist traps. However, if you are looking for easy access to
nice restaurants and quaint shops you won't find them in Corleto or Sant'
Angelo. Your best bet is to stay in a more populated town or a nearby city
(e.g., Salerno) and drive into the towns and valley for daily excursions. If you
have family in the town and plan on staying with them, make sure that you rent a
car or at least have someone willing and able to drive you around. The
towns are trying to attract tourists but they have a long way to go.
Another possibility is to make use of the "Agriturismo" (a type of bed and
breakfast) that are emerging throughout the area. These places provide meals and
have organized activities and private tours of the historical and natural
wonders of the area. There is one in Sant' Angelo called "La Rocca degli
Ulivi" with a nice pool (the only one in the area) and they have a
web
site. There are several in Castelcivita (two towns over from Sant'
Angelo) and other nearby towns. Some are listed on this
web site.